Vehicle-top support and protector.



- PATENTED OUT 9 1906 V A. s. MATHEWS & T. RUBBER.

VEHICLE TOP SUPPORT AND PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 19,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREWV S. MATHEWS AND THEODORE ROEDER, OF LONGMONT,

COLORADO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed December 19,1905- Serial No. 292,513.

[0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW S. MATH- nws and THEODORE ROEDER, citizens of the United States, residing at Longmont, in the county of Boulder and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Top Support and Protector, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement for the protection of tops when lowered now commonly used on vehicles.

The objects of our improvement are, first, to provide a tight suitable rest for the back bow of the top when lowered or folded, second, when the top is lowered or folded to have it held in one particular place, so that it cannot move upward and then downward, which tends to bend and finally break the bow; third, to hold the lower bow of the top when lowered or folded in one particular place, so that it cannot move to either side, which side movement tends to rack the top by breaking the sewing and the nails used in the making of the top. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a carriage-bow support having our improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the gnlg A B, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, f represents a portion of a side rail having the projecting arm g, with a round bearing at the end thereof for the top braces, which are held in place by the nut h, all as in the usual and ordinary construction. There is formed with the arm 9 a top-support '5, having a concave seat to accommodate the back bow when the top is in its lowered position. A cushion e is placed in the concave seat of the support to prevent chafing of the bows. An uprising post 0 is formed with the arm g, upon which is fitted a thumb-button b, and then is placed a coil-spring d on the post above the thumb-button b, and then the nut a is placed on the post, which holds the spring and thumb-button to their proper positions.

The post and thumb-button are manufactured so that the button I) can be revolved by hand around the post. The spring is used to hold the button I) in any position that it may be placed. The post 0 is manufactured so that the thumb-button b is at the proper height above the support & to pass over the bow when it is resting in the support.

The improvement is operated in this fashion, to wit: Turn the thumb-button so that it is parallel with the line C D, as shown in Fig. 1, and then lower 01' fold the top, and the back how will then be resting in the support 'i, and then turn the thumb-button b back to the position as shown in Fig. 1. Now the top will be held at this one place till the button b is turned one-quarter around, and then the bow is again free and the top may be raised.

We are aware that there is used a rest for bows to tops when lowered. We therefore do not claim such combination.

We do claim-L 1. In a vehicle-top support and protector, the combination of a support, thumb-button, post, coil-spring and nut, all substantially, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a vehicle-top support and protector, of a lined metallic support and a metal post with a thumb-button fitted thereon and above the button on the post a coil-spring and both the spring and button being held on the post by means of a nut or washer, for the uses and purposes specified.

A. S. MATHEWS. THEODORE ROEDER. Witnessesz,

J. E. BUMP, NEMO ELMSTEDT. 

